Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor package technology, and in particular to a semiconductor package with a three-dimensional (3D) antenna.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the semiconductor industry has seen a trend towards the so-called system in package (SiP) concept. The integration of systems integrated into a single integrated circuit (IC) package provides several advantages in terms of cost, size, performance, and product-design flexibility.
Many handheld electronic products, such as handheld computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and digital cameras, or media players, often include SiP components. These handheld electronic products are also provided with wireless communications capabilities. For achieving the function of wireless communications, an antenna and a communication module (e.g., an IC package with radio frequency (RF) devices) are typically required. The antenna is used for transmitting and receiving signals from the communication module.
In the conventional design of an IC package (e.g., the communication module), the antenna is not incorporated therein. Namely, the antenna and the IC package are manufactured separately and are electrically connected after being mounted on a circuit board. As a result, the manufacturing cost is increased and it is difficult to achieve a compact and small SiP component.
Although the incorporation of an antenna into a typical IC package has been proposed, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and signal coupling between the antenna and different parts of the chip or package may easily occur. These can result in a reduction of the antenna's level of performance. Thus, a novel semiconductor package is desirable.